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Officer: Body was in vehicle for days before burial
According to testimony today from McLennan County Sheriff’s Cpl. Bob Fuller, evidence in an abandoned vehicle on a 2-acre tract near Riesel revealed that 25-year-old Erica Rivera’s body had been decomposing for days inside the vehicle, and later dragged to a shallow grave.
Rivera, a mother of three, was last seen April 28, 2007, arguing with her boyfriend, Eric Williams, 38, in the parking lot of the Falcon Club in Waco. He is now on trial in her death.
On May 3, 2007, Williams asked neighbors of the eastern McLennan County property to help pull his car from the mud in the area where Rivera’s body was found May 8, according to court testimony.
While Fuller testified that no evidence was found in Williams’ Oldsmobile, he said one of two abandoned vehicles on the property contained a shovel with mud caked on it.
Because of heavy rains during this time, Fuller said investigators did not return to the scene until May 25, 2007. In the second abandoned vehicle, Fuller said he found part of a scalp with hair attached to it, decaying fluids, a blood-stained towel, and a plastic bag with Rivera’s clothing in it.
A second bag contained men’s clothing, including a shirt that read “PCA” and a pair of size-13 tennis shoes, Fuller said.
Testimony from Deputy Robert Fulmer earlier today revealed that Williams was wearing size-13 tennis shoes at the time of his May 12, 2007, arrest. Fulmer also testified that Williams was carrying a bag with several shirts emblazoned with “PCA” on them.
In opening arguments Monday, McLennan County Assistant District Attorney Beth Toben said PCA stands for Packaging Corporation of America, where Williams previously worked.
Rivera’s body was found in a shallow grave on a rainy May 8, Fulmer recalled. The body wasn’t removed until the next day and it wasn’t until May 25 that the sheriff’s office could do a thorough search of the property because of rain and flooding in the area, he said.
Testimony continues at 1:30 p.m. today in McLennan County’s 170th State District Court.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Hot stories, Courthouse, Police & crime
Comments
By Lynde Price
October 15, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this
I was a good friend of Erica Rivera. She was a wonderful young lady. What this man has done to her babies and the family is unreal. So far, all the evidence has proven him to be guilty. What is taking so long to convict him? In my eyes, his life should not be spared to sit and soak up our tax money when he took the life of an innocent mother. With his prior record, he seems to be a menace to society. We don’t need people playing God here either. I HOPE YOU GET WHAT IS COMING TO YOU ERIC!
By counseling101
October 15, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
Uh I hope you feel better now…
By That's What That Is
October 15, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this
I hope she feels better too!Now she needs 2 go 2 the other trial and make a comment on the KKK dude that killed his friend! Yeah it is wrong that he (Eric) took her life like that but she was by NO means an innocent young lady.C’mon if u were such good friends like u said, well u know what was up! U just don’t play with a person’s feeling like that. Almost sounds like ur mad at him for another reason other than what he is on trial for……hmmmm
By Fred
October 15, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
The Waco area is full of racist pigs like this lovely bunch. Welcome to Waco….welcome to Hell.
By andrea
October 16, 2008 4:37 AM | Link to this
I don’t know either of the people involved but she was a human being she didn’t have a trial or a jury she had a judge who decided she was going to die and carried out the sentence. HOW DID RACE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT! Please I know there are racists in Waco but if he did it what right did he have to take her life!
By andrea
October 16, 2008 4:40 AM | Link to this
I don’t know either of the people involved but she was a human being she didn’t have a trial or a jury she had a judge who decided she was going to die and carried out the sentence. HOW DID RACE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT! Please I know there are racists in Waco but if he did it what right did he have to take her life!
By andrea
October 16, 2008 4:43 AM | Link to this
I don’t know either of the people involved but she was a human being she didn’t have a trial or a jury she had a judge who decided she was going to die and carried out the sentence. HOW DID RACE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT! Please I know there are racists in Waco but if he did it what right did he have to take her life!